Where are the top places to eat the best rice dishes on the Costa del Sol?

Rice is much more than just another ingredient in Spanish cuisine. In the Mediterranean strip, where the sea and the vegetable garden have been in harmony for centuries, rice occupies a central place in gastronomic culture. It is not just a question of technique or flavour, but a way of understanding culture and territory.

From the dry rice dishes cooked in a paella pan, with its coveted socarrat - a thin layer of toasted rice that forms on the bottom of the paella when it is cooked - to the thick and brothy ones enjoyed with a spoon. This culinary universe offers a wealth of nuances that range from the ancestral to the contemporary, from the festive to the everyday.

Introduced by the Arabs in the Middle Ages, rice found its home in marshes from Valencia to the Ebro Delta and the Vegas Bajas del Guadiana. Andalucía also grows rice - Seville is Spain's leading rice producer, concentrated on the right bank of the River Guadalquivir. During the rainy season, the marshes of Seville are easily flooded due to their flat terrain, their proximity to sea level and the impermeable nature of the land - making Seville perfect for crop cultivation. More than 36,000 hectares are dedicated to rice, with an annual harvest of more than 350,000 tonnes, which represents more than 40 per cent of national production.

In this area, the most important varieties are Puntal (long grain) and Japonica subspecies (a round grain variety) among which Marisma and J. Sendra stand out. Its cultivation was adopted by local communities, and over the centuries recipes have emerged that have marked generations, from baked rice to the legendary paella.

Valencian paella is probably the most famous rice dish in the world. Its traditional recipe - with chicken, rabbit, green beans, butter beans, tomato, saffron and sweet paprika - has been elevated almost to cultural heritage status. Purists insist on keeping this version intact, but in reality, the word 'paella' has become popular to refer to any dry rice cooked in the classic flat pan.

Among the most common variants are seafood paella, mixed paella (meat and seafood) and the famous arroz del senyoret, where everything is peeled and ready to enjoy without getting your hands dirty.

Although not very common in Andalucía, rice "a banda" is another favourite, in which a fish stock is used for two purposes. The first to cook the potatoes and serve them in the style of Mediterranean calderetas, and the other to cook the rice which is served at the table accompanied by a good alioli.

Although paella is the most iconic dish, Spain's rice richness goes far beyond this. Dry rice is cooked until the grain is loose and without broth. The skill lies in the exact proportion of broth and heat control. The socarrat, that toasted layer on the bottom, is a coveted delicacy and comes from the fat in the broth or the extra virgin olive oil that is added, according to some cooks.

Thick 'meloso' rice is juicier and creamier, with a texture similar to risotto but without so much stirring. Broth is added little by little in order to respect the balance between liquid and starch. On the other hand, 'arroz caldoso' is served in a casserole dish with plenty of stock, almost like a soup. Examples are rice with lobster, rice with ribs and mushrooms or the classic fish and seafood dish, cooked with a succulent rock fish broth.

There are many places where you can sit down to eat a good rice dish. In Fuengirola, two restaurants are particularly appealing: La Caracola (Paseo Marítimo Rey de España, 9) with a rice dish of Iberian prey, baby broad beans and baby garlic, and La Carihuela Chica (Plaza San Rafael) for its rice with tuna belly and broad beans.

In Marbella, Bardot (Calle José Meliá), in the Gran Meliá Don Pepe hotel, under instruction of chef Víctor Carracedo, offers up to 12 types of rice: shrimp and sweetbreads, beef rib and piquillos and white prawns with torrezinos, among others. Nearby, La Milla (Los Verdiales area, Nagüeles beach) is renowned for market rice dishes such as Iberian rice with red shrimp or Angus pork loin.

At the Jara restaurant of the Kimpton Los Monteros hotel (Calle del Lince, 187), José Carlos García proposes versions with duck confit and foie gras, veal ribs cooked at low temperature or red prawns with Iberian jowl. At the Puente Romano beach bar (Boulevard Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe), the fish and seafood paella and the black rice with prawns and squid are particularly notable. Two more addresses have been added: Banús Beach (Muelle de Levante, Nueva Andalucía), in the heart of Puerto Banús, offers a version with prawns and lobster, and Cielo by Mogli (Avenida del Prado, 37) serves a dry rice dish with beef cutlet and another with sweet prawns.

In Malaga city, La Recaleta (Avenida Salvador Allende, 340) prepares a tasty chicken and entrecote rice dish. In Teatinos, La Proa (Calle Andrómeda, 11) has more than a dozen options on the menu, such as presa and foie rice, chicken and chorizo, carabinero, lobster or oxtail. Arrocería All Rice (Avenida de las Américas, 9) surprises customers with dishes such as rice with cod confit, prawns and basil aioli, or a vegan option with courgette, sweet potato and aubergine. Merendero Antonio Martín (Plaza de La Malagueta, 4) delights diners with its dry monkfish rice.

Zorro Callao (Avenida del Mediterráneo, 230, Rincón de la Victoria) offers five original dishes, from chicken, mushrooms, parmesan and truffle mayonnaise paella to cuttlefish and prawn paella. In Torre del Mar, Berebere (Poniente promenade, Torre del Mar) stands out with Iberian prey rice and other seafood options, and the chiringuito Varela (Levante promenade, 11) offers one with octopus and prawns.

Other must-visits are Arrozante (Avenida Rotary Internacional, Marbella), El Pescador (Avenida de España, 1, Estepona), Juan Playa (Paseo Marítimo Rey de España, 91, Fuengirola), La Flor (Camino Joaquín Blume, s/n, Alhaurín de la Torre), EnBoca (Calle San Telmo, 18, Benalmádena), El Parador Playa (Carretera de Cádiz, 131, Benalmádena), Marina Playa (Playa de La Marina, Rincón de la Victoria) and Lobito de Mar (Avenida Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe, 178, Marbella).

And we cannot forget to mention: Restaurante del Candado Golf by Javi Hernández (C/ Golf del Candado, 2, Malaga) and Beluga by Diego René (Plaza de las Flores, 3, Malaga).

Of course there are more addresses that deserve a place on this list, but these are some essentials for rice lovers. Enjoy dishes deeply rooted in Spanish tradition, especially on Sundays at midday which invite you to share an experience with family or friends.